Before a Wedding

I began photographing weddings in 1987 making me one of the most experienced wedding photographers in the region. Since then I’ve been Wedding Photographer of the Year twice and won various awards for my photography.

WOW!!! I can’t believe someone wants to hear the long story!!! Well I hope you’re ready for my journey. You may need to be sitting comfortably while you read all of this! 🙂

I began photographing weddings in 1987 when I was aked by a friend to photograph their wedding. I’d never considered wedding photography before, despite having a long time interest in photography from when about 6 or 7 years old. In that time I’d done various courses but that only to fuel my passion. But weddings was a different ball game! So I felt I had to rush out to buy my first “professional” camera to look the part if nothing else. When I started, professional photography was mainly done on 120 roll film with a medium format camera.

So my first wedding camera was a Yashica Mat 124G camera.

What a beautiful camera that was! and yes it took beautiful photos too!!

Aside from cameras for personal use, since then I’ve travelled through using a Mamiya 645 Super,

Bronica SQ Ai,

Bronica ETR Si,

Nikon FM2n.

Then as the digital revolution was building up in the late 1990s, I dipped my toes in during the autumn 2000 when I bought my first digital camera for professional use, a Fujifilm S1 Pro.

With a name like that it must be professional right?? Err…It was OK, but hard to work with professionally especially as it only shot jpeg or tiff files, and I quickly discovered the benefits of shooting raw. I only used the S1 for a few months before moving onto Nikon cameras, as the S1 used Nikon mount I could still use my lenses.

My first Nikon was Nikon D1x.

That was built like a tank! Then I upgraded to Nikon D2X when it was released.

It was at this time that I discovered dual card slots in digital cameras, which Nikon bodies didn’t have at the time. Dual card slots means the camera carries 2 cards to record the images onto. So if one card became corrupt for whatever reason, I’ve got an automatic back-up on the second card. I immediately realised how important that was for such an important event as a wedding. It’s an unrepeatable event and I must look to cover my bases as far as possible, so no wedding images are ever lost. Since no Nikon bodies had dual card slots I sold all my equipment and moved over to Canon and bought the Canon 1D Mk2n.

I briefly dabbled with a single slot camera after that, the Canon 5Dm2 as the tank-like 1D Mk2s were becoming too heavy to carry around with a bag full of lenses for a whole day.

But when the 5Dmk3 was announced in March 2012 with it’s dual card slots I was all over it like a rash.

While watching the digital world, I noticed that another revolution was developing, the world of mirrorless cameras, which allowed for smaller camera bodies with no loss of image quality. I first discovered a beautiful looking camera the Fuji x100s which I bought in 2013.

Very retro looking. I’d initially bought it as a carry around camera but noticed that the quality was amazing for it’s size. I even began using it more and more during a wedding day and, especially during the parts of the day that required a quiet, unobtrusive documentary coverage. With such a small camera no one was intimidated by a big camera being poked in their direction. Some never even noticed me. Wow!! I must join this next revolution!! Thus began my exploration into the world of mirrorless cameras. For the next 3 years I explored, tried different Fuji mirrorless bodies, waiting for a dual card slot body before I moved over completely. I knew the quality was there. But I didn’t feel comfortable shooting with single card slots for weddings. So guess what was announced in Jan 2016? The Fuji xPro2, and yes it has dual card slots!! Yay!!

I’m now 100% a Fuji X photographer. I carry 3 bodies to a wedding as my main cameras (2 X-Pro2s and a X-100F) plus I have an X-T1 and X-E2 as backups. The small, lightweight body suits my style perfectly as a documentary photographer. Lens wise I mainly use primes but also occasionally use zooms. My current lens line-up is: 18mm f2, 35mm f1.4, 35mm f2, 56mm f1.4, 10-24mm f4, 50-140mm f2.8 and a Fuji WCL for my X100F.

I shoot all the year round. I know some photographers for various reasons don’t shoot winter weddings or during certain months of the year. I find the light during winter months has its own attraction that stimulates creativity when shooting a winter wedding in a different way to a summer wedding. So I love the flexibility and the challenge to shoot all year round.

To date I’ve never missed a wedding! It would have to be an extremely severe illness or family problem for me not to turn up for your wedding day, the type of illness/problem that would prevent you from being at your own wedding!

But just in case, I have actively networked with many professional photographers who I know personally, to form a reserve of photographers that I’m able to draw from at short notice to cover for me should the worst scenario happen. This, together with indemnity and liability insurance will guarantee your day is not ruined.

Over the many years I’ve been working there aren’t many venues I’ve not worked at in the Midlands area. But on the off chance your venue is new to me and you feel it would be advantageous to visit, I find that the pre-wedding session is an ideal time to plan it at your venue so I can have a recce. But also remember that as a documentary photographer, the emphasis will be on telling your story, where ever it happens, rather than knowing the venue like the back of my hand. The only time I’d utilise the venue would be during the time we spend for your photos together away from the crowds. Having shot in so many varied venues over the years, I’ve always been able to adapt quickly to use what is available, never having been there before.

Not everyone asks for a pre-wedding shoot, but if you’re nervous in front of the camera then this is an excellent way to get relaxed and comfortable being photographed. You’ll get to see how relaxing the session is, so come your wedding day, you’ll feel even more relaxed. You choose when you’d like the session to be held. Is there somewhere special to you both? Do you want to have it a your wedding venue? The choice is yours.

I like the personal touch, so if you live near by I’d love to pay you a visit to get to know you better and vice-versa. After all we’ll be spending a whole day together, so you’d better know if you like me first of all 😉

But because of distance, not everyone can meet up face-to-face. In that case a Skype call is the next best thing.

Failing that, if we’ve already met perhaps at a friend’s wedding, or you’ve studied my website carefully and you just trust your gut instinct based on what you’ve read and seen, or through a recommendation, then you can just book me over the phone.

First ring/e-mail to check my availability, then you can either reserve your date over the phone using your credit/debit card and then later send in your Booking Form, or you can arrange for me to visit you.

£250 is required to secure the exclusive use of my services for your wedding date, as I only ever photograph one wedding per day.

Your final balance will be due 2 weeks before your wedding. Please note that only a signed booking form along with the retainer fee can fully guarantee your date.

During a Wedding

I am the sole photographer. Over the years experience has taught me that people like to have one point of contact before, during and after their wedding. So when you meet and book me, I will be your photographer and sole point of contact for your wedding.

You choose how long you’d like me there. Most have me for the whole day from the morning preparations until the first dance and after, but I also offer half day options either from the morning till the wedding breakfast or from the ceremony until the speeches. In fact you can tailor-make your own coverage if one of my set packages doesn’t suit you.

I start off with attending the morning preparations, usually for the bride. I’m simply documenting what goes in without too much interference from myself. I always say “Just ignore me. I’m not here really” That way I get people to quickly relax as they won’t feel the need to always be posing for a photo. If the bride and groom are getting ready at the same venue, I like to visit both rooms to get some of the grooms pre-wedding preparation too.

I always plan for about 2 hours preparation photography before leaving for the ceremony. Once at the ceremony, after a quick photo of the groom and perhaps best man and ushers, I’ll be moving around to photograph guests arriving, ushers doing their job, the groom looking nervous. Whatever happens, I aim to document it. The same goes for when the bride arrives and during the ceremony. After the ceremony, I prefer the couple to again ignore me and go and say hello to their guests. Here again story telling images are made, as guests greet the newly married couple.

Group photos are then covered followed by a quick session, or “walk-about” as I like to call it, for the bride and groom. Before everyone has sat down for the wedding breakfast, I’ll take a few detail shots of the room layout. I don’t take photos during the meal as no one like to have their photo taken with a mouth full of food, so it’s at this point that I’ll down tools, catch something to eat and wait for the speeches and first dance.

Time and weather permitting I may get the bride and groom outside for one last brief photo session before I leave.

I don’t work with an assistant, as I generally work alone. During the day I’ll be blending into the background, and I find being a solo worker makes it easier to work that way as I can move here there and everywhere without being concerned where’s my assistant or how to avoid them being seen in the background of my images. Plus, you’ll be less aware of the photographer’s presence if there’s only 1 person instead of 2.

I know how you feel, as I feel the same. I hate posing. I feel awkward and can’t wait till it’s over. So I’m totally on your side. How I work to minimise that feeling is to concentrate on natural, unposed photos that better capture your natural smile and personality.

Especially during the couples session, I never concentrate on getting posey-looking-at-the-camera-with-a cheesy-smile type of photos. Instead I look for natural, moment-led photos. It’s more about you two being together while I take camera-un-aware photos to tell a story.

I don’t insist on you feeding me as you have enough to worry about with feeding your guests. But if you still wish to provide a meal, then something in a nearby room/area so I’m not too far away from the wedding breakfast area in case something unexpected happens, would be gratefully accepted.

After a Wedding

Within 3 weeks, a slideshow highlights of your weddings day will be posted on my website, along with a link to view the full set of images. Over the next few weeks you will then be given time to choose your favourite images for your album.

Once returned, your album and any other reprint orders will be returned to you about 6 weeks later. Orders received between September and October may take a little longer, due to this being a peak time for album orders.

If you mean “Are we allowed to print, copy and distribute our images?” Then the answer is “Yes, you sure do!”

Technically speaking “Copyright” refers to the legal owner of the images. The law in the UK assigns that to the photographer. This allows me, with my clients full permission to display images on my website, in sample albums etc.

Yes I have a variety of wedding albums to choose from. Just ask for further details.

Once you’ve chosen an album there are two choices for making your album available:

1) You choose the images for your wedding album which will then be designed by me. You get to preview and change the layout before it goes to print.

2) Allow me to choose the images for you. This choice gives you the best option as, not only will your wedding album be finished more quickly, I will choose the perfect balance of images to reflect your wedding day as presented in an album of your choice. You still have the option to preview the layout and make any changes you wish.

Within 3 weeks your images are posted online in your gallery to view along with a link to download the high resolution versions. If included in your package, you’ll also get your wedding slideshow highlights.

Then shortly after that, if ordered your USB containing all the high resolution files of the photos in your gallery will be posted to you.

You’ll get a few weeks to choose your favourites for your album. Once your choice has been returned, an online link to view the draft layout of your album will be sent within 2 weeks, so you can fully approve the whole album, or if you wish make some amendments. If there are any amendments, another draft layout with your changes will be again be sent. This will be done until you fully approve the whole album.

Once I receive full approval, your album will be sent off to be made and will take about 6 weeks to complete and be returned to you. If your order arrives during September – October it typically take up to 8 weeks to be returned, as this is peak season for album manufacturers.

SEARCH

Clive Blair is an award-winning documentary wedding photographer based in Birmingham West Midlands, UK. A member of the exclusive West Midlands Selective. Available to shoot weddings throughout the UK and abroad.

If you’ve got a question that has not been answered here on my website, or you’d like to book me as your wedding photographer, either fill in my online request form or give me a ring.